Texas Tech professor Seshadri Ramkumar receives the highest honor from the world’s largest fiber and textiles organization.
Lubbock, TX, March 3, 2023 – Seshadri Ramkumar, a professor in the Department of Environmental Toxicology and The Institute of Environmental and Human Health at Texas Tech University, has been awarded a gold medal and honorary membership in Textile Association (India) (TAI), which is the world’s largest association in the field of fiber and textiles.
Ramkumar is being recognized for a lifetime of contributions and service in helping lead the growth of the textiles sector in India. Through approximately 20 years of work, he helped India strengthen its place in the textile sector to the point where it was self-reliant in personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier in his career, he was named a TAI honorary fellow.
“I wholeheartedly thank the Textile Association (India) and the South India Unit of TAI as well as many others who have helped me achieve this recognition,” Ramkumar said. “It is humbling to receive the prestigious honor from the world’s largest professional association in the field, given the galaxy of earlier awardees such as Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, who is recognized as the father of the Indian space sector.
“It is gratifying to note that the work we are doing at Texas Tech is impacting globally and connecting professionals for the betterment of lives.”
Honorary membership is the organization’s highest honor and is awarded to people who have been significant contributors to expanding the nation’s textile industry within the country and internationally. Ramkumar is the first honorary member selected since 2015. The TAI comprises more than 26,000 members and dates to 1939.
The award was presented during the organization’s World Textile Conference-3, which was held Feb. 25 in Ahmedabad, India. Ramkumar received the honor from Bhupendrabhai Patel, chief minister of the state of Gujarat in India. He joins a select group that includes other significant industry leaders such as Padmabhushan awardee Kasthuri Sreenivasan, the founding director of the South India Textile Research Association.
